Welcome to “Underrated Artists,” an entertainment column from the St. Louis Park Echo covering unpopular and unknown artists. Every week, a different Echo staffer takes on the role of writer, reviewing single releases and albums from four underrated artists.
Most people haven’t heard of LeFLOFRANCO as he’s a French artist who only produces songs in French. While I don’t understand every word or the meaning of the song, the beat and rhythm of his songs are electric. I love all of his music but my favorite songs of his are “Danser avec toi” and “#LevelUp.” Both of these songs are fast paced and upbeat and are always fun to listen to. In addition, both songs were featured in the French music competition ‘Manie Musicale’ with “Danser avec toi” winning the competition in 2023 and “#LevelUp” losing in the round of 16 in 2024. Even for those who aren’t fans of French music or don’t understand it, LeFLOFRANCO’s songs are for everyone. I strongly recommend giving him a listen.
Another artist I think is extremely underrated is Lupe Fiasco. Fiasco released his first album “Food and Liquor” in 2006,since then has produced many popular songs. Fiasco mainly produces rap songs that outline the importance of hard work and promoting self worth. Many of his songs outline challenging situations while encouraging people to work to improve their situation. There are many songs of his I enjoy, but two of my favorite songs are “Superstar” and “The Show Goes On.” Both songs go along with his typical message of making a name for oneself and becoming memorable. I love the beat of both songs and they are both extremely catchy and I could listen to them over and over without being annoyed. I definitely would recommend his music to any people that like fairly appropriate rap music.
One artist who I think is underappreciated is Damian Lillard, aka Dame D.O.L.L.A. Lillard is a seven time NBA all-star making him one of the league’s premier stars.This makes his music overlooked because of his phenomenal ball skills. Lillard started producing music in 2015 and has produced over 100 songs since then. I’m a big fan of his music because he outlines struggles of life, how to push through them and to never quit. My favorite songs of his are “Loyal to the Soil,” “Bigger Than Us” and “Judgement Day.” I like these songs because they show who he is as a person and what he has overcome in his journey to the pros. His songs are good for any situation, but I think they are especially good in the gym. Regardless of your views on basketball, he is definitely an all-star in the music industry and a great up and coming artist.
The last underrated artist that I feel obligated to highlight is Alice Cooper. Most people haven’t heard of the most prominent rock singer ever! He is an electric performer who’s demeanor always shows his passion. All of his songs are fast paced and make you want to sing along, even if you don’t know the words. One reason I’m such a big fan of Cooper is his enthusiasm. He sings with so much of his heart in every song. He represents music so well with the simplicity of his songs — they’re so relatable. With so many amazing songs, it is tough to choose my favorites but I have to say “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” and one of the most legendary songs ever “School’s Out” are my favorites. The song “School’s Out,” is nostalgic as it describes the end of the school year and the beauty of summer. Every year as the school year comes to a close I like to listen to the song and jam out. Although the song came out in 1972 it has never gone out of style and I don’t think it ever will. Once school is over, I recommend listening to this iconic tune.
